Aria

After two grueling hours of being dressed up by the maids with them thankfully deciding I don’t need makeup with my natural beauty, along with a few more hours of waiting, I now find myself sighing as I stand at the edge of a balcony looking out into the ocean within the castle. With the sounds of light and slightly romantic music playing out through the ball as the nobles and mercenaries all dance inside.

And now I’m wondering why I came here.

I’ve realized the real reason behind the ball within just a few minutes of the ball starting. It’s mostly a way for the nobles to find, select, and then sponsor the top mercenaries here. Or, in a lot of their cases, marry them into their households.

Something that I’m apparently not exempt from in their eyes just because I’m not a mercenary working for one of their companies.

So this night has been a pain.

I glance down at my dress – a mostly white and pale blue one that leaves my arms and shoulders bare, with a choker using my red jewel to clash with the other pale colors – before looking up at the waters outside of the castle again. Then I reach up and adjust the red flowers in my hair again.

When I asked the maids to put the red flowers in my hair as usual, they didn’t even question it. In fact, they were apparently planning on doing it themselves.

Guess Dad was right when he said before that it looks really nice in my snow white hair.

Although the flower is a different one from the special roses I usually put in. Instead it’s a flower more native to the waters on this planet.

It looks good all the same, so I don’t mind.

I glance at the prince, or rather, my shield from those nobles standing next to me to find Azura simply gazing out at the ocean.

The man is wearing a full suit this time around. One that actually doesn’t have any white in it. Mostly. It does have white underneath the vest and jacket, but most of what’s visible is aqua colored. He also has those royal looking gold thingies on his shoulders that I have no idea what are but look cool, a fancy looking most likely magic belt, and some sort of symbol on his jacket collar. Probably the symbol of Atlantis.

Ever since he joined me, the nobles all gave up right away. Probably assuming I’ll be either marrying him or joining his company or some ridiculousness like that.

What I find rather amusing is that none of the nobles know I’m Death. The only people that are privy to that information are the royalty and the Royal Guard. Everyone else here just thinks I’m some friend of the royals who happens to have a black number at a mere level 20.

Wouldn’t exactly be a good idea to go around spreading news that Death is in Atlantis after all.

Yet they’re still chasing after me without even knowing who I am.

Certainly goes to show how power affects people.

Also, unlike the Grand Tree, which is only enormous going upwards, the Grand Ocean is just plain enormous. To the point that it’s rather easy to go around without meeting people in it.

And apparently black numbers at such a low level are more common than I thought they were. Sorta.

It’s basically a guarantee that the person has a Class S ability, so they’re about as common as low level Class S Ability Holders. Which is to say, not common. But not unseen before. Meaning not a sign to know who I am.

So I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing my ability on a regular basis and linking it to me being Death.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

A rather nice fact that I had been worried about at one point.

“Sorry, I should’ve told you before, but we Atlanteans tend to take promises very seriously,” Azura suddenly says, breaking me out of my thoughts as I turn to look at him again. “If you go back on your word, you will lose all the respect any Atlantean had for you. At least, if your word was about something involving someone else.”

“It’s fine,” I tell him with a nod.

I’d originally wanted to back out after they started trying to dress me up. Since I was rather… uncomfortable having maids change me. But they insisted that it was only normal here. That it was how things went.

And I get the feeling they were thinking of me as a young child in a way as well. Probably because of my level.

But when I mentioned possibly not going after all, they acted like I’d stepped on their favorite cat and killed it. So I immediately took it back and they returned to how they were acting before.

Which is… an odd thing. Certainly a clash of cultures.

I need to watch what I say here though. Otherwise I might end up being hated for something I don’t even remember.

A very much not ideal situation.

This ball hasn’t been all bad though. I have gotten to meet quite a few powerful mercenaries who are apparently over level four hundred. A few even over level five hundred and six hundred.

Oh, and apparently the king and queen are a little over level seven hundred themselves. Much higher level than the Clan Leaders on Luk’tar, to my rather large surprise.

But I guess I shouldn’t judge a nation by the Tier of their world.

Even if a large part of it is just because it’s harder for crafters to level up than fighters. Since crafters have a limited amount of materials compared to the number of people fighters have to fight.

I turn to look back inside of the castle before raising my drink to my lips and taking a sip. An act that I still can’t figure out how works underwater but works nonetheless.

Then again, they’re a nation that is underwater. They must have enchantments or something to deal with issues like these.

As for the whole talking underwater thing? I learned that it was some sort of enchantment on the buildings in Atlantis that allows anyone in the buildings, Atlantean or not, to speak out loud when they attempt to speak. Regardless of if they have any oxygen in them or not.

A rather convenient enchantment that I’m planning on trying to buy from Shirogane when I can. Since he’s the expert in shopping and all.

Speaking of Shirogane, he’s probably going around the stores in Atlantis right about now, happily not at a ball like me.

I look around the ballroom to find a bunch of the princes and princesses either dancing with nobles or surrounded by nobles. Either or most of the time. Meanwhile servants and maids are quite literally swimming around through the ballroom going about their duties. And the king and queen are both seated on thrones at the very back of the ballroom, speaking between themselves.

And even from all the way back here, it’s pretty obvious how close those two are. Perhaps a little too close considering that they are known to do public displays of affection rather often.

It’s like they’re tied to the hip.

I could never understand something like that myself to be honest.

“Are you planning on heading to the Grand Ocean tomorrow?” Azura asks, making my attention return to him for a moment before I look out past the balcony again.

I swirl around the liquid in my glass for a few seconds – once again, not sure how it works – before answering, “Yeah, I’ll probably head out on that ferry you mentioned before.”

“Then I’ll be accompanying you along with Sel,” he says with a nod, using a nickname for his much younger teenage sister.

I glance at him for a moment before silently nodding and turning to look at the princess in question. Who is currently surrounded by the teenage nobles in attendance. Or rather, the teenage children of the nobles. Meanwhile Little Blue is surrounded by the children.

Almost like magnets.

Although…

I turn to look at Azura, only for him to ask, “Wonderin why I’m the only royal without a band of nobles following me like lost puppies?”

That has me nodding, although I do ask, “Does Atlantis even have puppies?”

He blinks before answering, “Yes, we do.”

Oh. Wow.

“Sorta,” he adds, confusing me. But he doesn’t expand further as he answers the other question, “It’s partially because I tend to reject anyone who tries to get close to me here.” He narrows his eyes slightly. “Because I don’t want false ties to people.”

Interesting.

“You said partially?” I ask, curious about what the other part is.

He smirks and raises a brow at me, giving me a bad feeling before he answers, “The other part is that they probably assume I’m already trying to woo you or something. Possibly the other way around.”

Yeah, thought so.

“They’re delusional,” I state rather indifferently as I turn to look out into the water again.

“Sure you wouldn’t even consider-” he begins what’s most likely gonna be a joke, but I cut him off with a short, “Nope.”

The man puts his hand to his chest with a hurt expression and says, “You wound me, ma lady!”

“Too bad,” I tell him, the corner of my lips quirking ever so slightly upwards.

On another note, I can’t wait to see the Grand Ocean.

It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful Hunter’s Spots in the universe. Albeit not the most beautiful.

And I’m very curious as to what makes it so beautiful.